kalkwasser with vinegar????

Discussion in 'Water Chemistry' started by cosmo, Aug 2, 2012.

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  1. tinctorus

    tinctorus Feather Duster

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    I realize that the source of carbon is not what removes the No3 and Po4 but the bacteria, I was just stating that carbon dosing will remove them both...Just as Kalk precipitates Po4 out of the water

    Ive never seen people have issues from carbon dosing when done PROPERLY, But people shouldnt have issues when dosing Kalk PROPERLY either

    The key being to monitor your tank and dose accordingly and not just go putting stuff in all willy nilly
     
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  3. Dingo

    Dingo Giant Squid

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    Agreed
     
  4. 55gfowlr

    55gfowlr Zoanthid

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    Not being facetious, but can you define 'nilly willy', because I'm one of those people that will BLOW past barriers simply due to ignorance. When you say "Proper carbon dosing" I draw a blank, when you add carbon to your tank, and there's not enough bacteria to 'eat' it up, it turns to Nitrifieing material? So is that "Improper" (To dose too much carbon?) Also, vinegar is carbon?


    (Not to side rail your thread Cosmo, but I feel this is an important part of the conversation, definition of 'carbon')
     
  5. steve wright

    steve wright Super Moderator

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    the definition of Willy Nilly in this situation is people who have bottles of this, bottles of that and just add 5 mils or so every so often, without reference to a test kit
    if you know you have passed parameters - then you are testing and thus not dosing willy nilly - I think many of us, including myself have made the odd calculation error in our time, in terms of strenght of solution and frequency and QTY , but we know the targets, and we eventually fine tune it and get it stable

    Carbon in this context is "free carbon" carbon that is the building block of all life forms
    the free carbon source in Vinegar is Acetate
    not to be confused with granular activated carbon
     
  6. ingtar_shinowa

    ingtar_shinowa Giant Squid

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    Using kalk topoff as a carbon dosing system is also 'willy nilly' Most people who dose kalk with vinegar also have a CaRX or dose two part. They know EXACTLY how much Vinegar and Kalk enter there system every day and its the same.
     
  7. ingtar_shinowa

    ingtar_shinowa Giant Squid

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    I agree
     
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  9. steve wright

    steve wright Super Moderator

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    agreed that it may be a willy nilly method of carbon dosing
    but it is a controlled method of calcium and carbonate dosing
    which is what it was primarily designed to be

    thus for those people who are using saturated Kalkwasser as there means of Calcium and Alkalinity supplementation, they would not fall into the dosing Willy Nilly category

    just wanted to clarify that for our super saturated limewater users

    Steve
     
  10. cosmo

    cosmo Giant Squid

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    I think after reading up and all your input, I'm gonna just stick with straight kalk dosing via ATO, and just careful track it so I can adjust it as evaporation changes through the year. I really don't have a param problem, so i think the KISS method is best for me. I just need a little help to extend the WC's so my clams and corals don't stress;)

    I'm gonna keep reading up on the vinegar method, but life is getting hectic lately and the easier I make it the better, hence buying the ATO, which is also better for the tank anyways.

    By all means keep the discussion going, and 55FOWLR, no worries, ask away, we're all here to learn!
     
  11. cosmo

    cosmo Giant Squid

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    Just bought a JBJ ATO unit, and gonna use my little hydor pico pump;)
     
  12. Biocube

    Biocube Giant Squid

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    Very nice!
    I loved mine when I had it.